Last day sailing to Marina Preko, Zadar

We left our lovely Pasman mooring early and had a really good sail up to 6.1 knots into Zadar. We moored at Marina Preko, a new marina opposite Zadar, so I will catch a ferry over tomorrow to get the plane to Karlsruhe.We had a lovely meal tonight at a restaurant called Roko in the marina - the photo with all the flowers.

Sailing: Day 6 Pasman

We have had a good sail today to this lovely little bay with stone walls and little stone houses. There are literally hundreds of islands, many uninhabited in the Croatian archipelago. Claudia and Ralf are showing me some of their favourite bays. We sail or motor 15 - 30 miles each day, then moor, eat, drink, snooze and read. What a lovely life!Tonight we ate at a lovely little family restaurant in Landin Bay (see photo)

Sailing; Day 4 & 5 : Telascica

Another hot and still day today, 22nd August, so motoring again, swapping steering every half hour. We motored the length of Dugi Otok,for about 6 miles to an enclosed bay called Telascica, bordering a national park.Little boats come round the moored yachts selling fresh fruit, bread and drinks. The landscape is very interesting - dry karst topography with sloping limestone rocks and our little bay is sheltered with the bluest of blue waters. You see very little rubbish, especially in the water, and we often swim up to 10 times a day, whenever we stop as it is HOT! Today, 23 August We walked into the park to an inland salt lake and to some cliffs. There were little Magarac donkeys in the trees and again we had a coffee in the little beach bar. Then we swam, read and slept and played 'Bluff' in the evening. Ralf always wins!!

Sailing: Day 3 : Brbinj

Very hot today and light winds, only 2-3 knots so we have had multiple swims and we motored to a lovely little bay called Brbinj. A typical little Croatian village with shuttered houses with orange tiled roofs around the bay, olive and cypress trees, cicadas chirruping,a church and a cemetery. I really like the Croatians - they seem to be very family-orientated and polite, the boys are tall and good looking and the girls pretty.They have a good system in the places we moor, usually on a buoy. They come round in little motor boats to collect both your mooring fees and your rubbish. There are lots of very big expensive looking Italian motor boats everywhere, as well as various different sized yachts.We went over to a lovely little beach bar tonight for dinner(see photo). The little house is a typical Croatia home stay
house or sobe.

Sailing: day 2 :Veli Rat

We sailed over to Veli Rat today and I was allowed to skipper. No togs for me now- much nicer to swim in the nude. I hope none of the neighboring yachts have binoculars! We live in our togs, a sun hat and a T-shirt! What a lovely way to really relax. We sail for 3 or 4 hours, then moor, swim, snack, snooze,swim again and have a beer or two! Today we went onshore for a walk to a little beach bar for a coffee. Lots of yachts moored around us tonight, gorgeous sunset and very starry.The yacht next door is having a party and is festooned with balloons.

Sailing in the Adriatic; Day 1: Molat

My nice taxi driver from the railway station yesterday , Gogi (see photo)
took me into Zadar early where I listened to the water organ: steps with holes in them and the sea makes music( see photo) and I wandered around this lovely old town again without the madding crowds.
Met Claudia and Ralf in the Borik Marina at 11.30 and my dream sailing holiday began. There are just the 3 of us and Maui, their border collie on board.
'Gagi' is a Bavaria 34 and very comfortable. We sailed for about 5 hours to the island of Molat where we anchored and swam several times in the clear blue warm sea. This will be my bath for the next week and they both swim in the nude! I am not brave enough yet, but I am sure I will do so too before the end of the week!! They have to take Maui on shore when we anchor to have a pee! He goes quite happily in the little rubber dinghy. Then we sat and watched the sunset with a beer or two. What a life and I feel so healthy and sunburned tonight. Today we hoisted the NZ ensign and I sang our national anthem!! I had a great sleep with the waves lulling me to sleep and have woken to the church bells in this little bay where about 4 other yachts are moored and the smell of fresh bread baking in the little beach bar.